In a vehicle having a body structure in which an engine room (an engine compartment) is positioned in front of a vehicle cabin (a cabin) in which a passenger gets, when a large impact is applied thereto from a front side due to a vehicle frontal collision or other such accidents, the impact can be efficiently absorbed due to deformation of a vehicle front portion. As a result, deformation of the vehicle interior can be minimized. At the same time, backward movement of a dash panel can be restricted. Thus, the passenger can be protected. Conventional techniques relating to impact absorption in the front portion of the vehicle and restriction of the backward movement of the dash panel are taught by patent documents described below.
In a technique taught by Japanese Patent No. 4022846, a reinforcement member is attached to an upper portion of a dash panel between right and left suspension towers so as to increase lateral stiffness thereof. Also, a reinforcement member is interleaved between each of right and left end portions of the dash panel and each of front pillars so as to increase surface stiffness of the dash panel. Thus, an amount of backward movement of the dash panel can be reduced.
In a technique taught by Japanese Patent No. 4122895, a crushable zone is formed behind an engine so as to absorb an impact at the time of a vehicle frontal collision.
In a technique taught by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-370672, formed between an outer cross member and a dash panel is an area that is relatively easily deformable by an impact at the time of a frontal collision, so that backward movement of the dash panel can be restricted.
In a technique taught by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-846, suspension towers for supporting a suspension are connected to side portions of a dash panel such that a suspension input load can be received by the dash panel. Thus, the suspension towers can be prevented from being inclined inwardly, so as to ensure a stability of steering.
In a technique taught by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-154969, a bulged portion is formed in a cross member positioned in front of a dash panel. Thus, a load at the time of a frontal collision can be absorbed and then be transmitted to and dispersed in a floor, so that backward movement of the dash panel can be restricted.
In a technique taught by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-225750, a weakened portion is formed between a vertical surface and a horizontal surface of a battery bracket. Thus, the battery bracket may have a sufficient support strength for a large battery and a stabilized shock absorbing function due to deformation of the weakened portion.
However, these conventional techniques may be difficult to be directly applied to a vehicle in which a space of an engine room positioned on a vehicle front portion is reduced in a back and forth direction. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the engine room with a high shock absorbing function by means other than the conventional techniques.
For example, even in a vehicle having a narrow engine compartment, suspension towers can be directly connected to a dash panel in order to ensure lateral stiffness of the suspension towers. Thus, the suspension towers can receive a large suspension load. However, in such a structure, an amount of backward movement of the dash panel may be increased. Generally, it is important that an amount of backward movement of a brake booster, an amount of upward and backward projection of a brake pedal, an amount of upward projection of a steering wheel and an amount of penetration of a toe board can be minimized at the time of a vehicle frontal collision. All of these amounts may depend on the amount of backward movement of the dash panel. As a result, even when the suspension towers are directly connected to the dash panel, a special technique is required in order to minimize the amount of backward movement of the dash panel caused by a large impact due to the vehicle frontal collision or other such accidents.
Thus, there is a need in the art to provide an improved vehicle body structure.